From Nicholas Roerich travel diary Altai-Himalaya: 'On August nineteenth [1927] we started through Tsaidam to Tibet. A memorable night in Tsaidam - when we crossed the salt marshes. We could not stop but had to go a hundred and twenty miles without a halt. In the darkness of the night the road is invisible and yet we crossed the most dangerous parts during the night without realizing it. On either side of the narrow path are bottomless pits. If the horse trips it is impossible to extricate him. One false step and all is finished. It was difficult but at last Tsaidam was crossed in a new and in the shortest direction'.
We would like to thank Gvido Trepsa, Senior Researcher at Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York for his assistance in cataloguing the present lot.